A presentation on The Descent of Man (or why the Indian male must cook), by Samar Halarnkar was well received. The event was anchored by Ratna Rao Shekar, who also launched the book.

It was preceded by a cooking demonstration by Samar of his quick, creative recipes from the book.

About the Book

The Married Man’s Guide to Creative Cooking: And Other Dubious Adventures makes a strong case for why men need to cook. It also tells you how you can get your sons to step into the kitchen early. And how easy it is to shop, chop, baste, marinate, sauté and stir.

This married man cooks because
a) He likes to eat
b) It helps him stay in touch with friends, family and culinary traditions
c) It fires up his wife, and
d) The kitchen is a place that reminds him he can be a better man.

There’s no better way than cooking to experience the summers of your life, he believes. Step in to his kitchen to see how this jugaad cook adapts, innovates, stumbles and triumphs. Cooking, he believes, is like a roadside mechanic’s fiddling and tinkering. A little bit of this, a little bit of that.

A twist here, a turn there.

Enjoy the great food narrative that swings between a childhood in the Deccan, a land of black soil and black magic, to adulthood spent travelling India and the world. Anyone can be a jhatka gourmet cook with these super-easy recipes.

The book is categorized under the Cookery genre, the release type is Original, priced at Rs 495, is a Paperback edition with a Page Extent of 248 pp.

About the Author: Samar Halarnkar cooks and writes. A former managing editor of Hindustan Times, he has been a journalist for 23 years. He is a resident of Bangalore and the author of Nirvana under the Rain Tree, an early chronicle of India’s Internet revolution.
He currently writes for various publications.

About Westland Limited: WESTLAND LIMITED is a subsidiary of Trent Limited, the retail arm of the Tata group, the largest diversified industrial group in India. The group includes EastWest Books and Tranquebar Press.

They publish literary as well as commercial fiction and non-fiction, and are engaged in both the publishing and distribution of books. After more than 50 years of experience in import and distribution of major academic and English language trade publications from all over the world, Westland’s focus has shifted to publishing in the last few years. Today, Westland is the fifth-largest English-language trade publisher in India and has published a host of bestsellers.

Since Neilsen started their Bookscan in India, which tracks bestselling titles across the country, Westland has consistently had a strong presence in the top 10 on bestselling charts.

About SO. Food & More: ‘So’ raises a toast to those lovely, wintry afternoons, when all one wants to do is to laze in the sun and eat to one’s heart content. A brainchild of restaurateur Vikas Passary and his wife Vinita, So. Dining and More can unabashedly claim to be Hyderabad’s definitive fine-dining experience.

First, the terrace-top, flora-dotted ambience with lovely wooden antique furniture from Goa, has a view to die for, of the lush-green KBR Park. Second, the French consultant chef Gregory Bazire, who has worked in Michelin-rated restaurants, has this admirable yen for churning out some amazing salads, grills, bakes and pies, with a steady eye on improvisation, to suit the local palate!

So is a noon until midnight place, and encourages browsing at leisure through the exhaustive menu which lists soups (cold and hot), zesty fresh salads, grills and barbeques, platters (tempura, seafood, mezze, cheese etc), risottos, pastas, lasagnas, moussakas, pancakes, gelatos, muffins etc. There is a ‘break’ menu from 3pm to 6.30 pm, where you can order from Egg-ceteras (loads of eggs dishes, including some French classics), thin crust pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and salads. So offers something for everyone, be it for the connoisseur of French and Mediterranean cuisines, or someone who has his ‘desi’ palate intact, with the generous smattering of Goan and Thai dishes on the menu, including curries to be paired with basmati or brown rice.

Signature dishes include Basa Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf, Roast Chicken, and for vegetarians, that French classic Ratatouille. Health with taste is an important credo, so you will find healthy options like Pumpkin, Lemongrass and Ginger soup, Greek Platter or Figs with Fresh Mozzarella. For desserts, try the Crème Brulee, Choco Tarte and Brownies with Poached Pears.